Twenty-five.

Looking back, the sundress should've clued him in.

When Ed and Olivia, along with a bottle of Sarah's Prosecco, two glasses, and the smaller of the two beach blankets they had, set out for their walk on the beach, Ed did not believe Olivia would go through with lovemaking on the beach. This was unfortunate, because Sarah, Brooke, and Sonny paid very little attention to them announcing they were going for a walk. Sarah was too wrapped up with Maggie and Wyatt—she was lying on the floor between the babies and obsessed with making them smile. She bopped their noses with her index finger and babbled to them in incoherent baby talk until they broke into grins.

"Good boy!" She cooed at Wyatt and kissed his chubby cheeks in succession, "You're such a perfect, perfect boy, aren't you?" Wyatt's smile faded a little as he focused on Sarah's shimmery necklace. His tiny mouth formed into an "O" shape as he concentrated.

Already not one to be ignored, Maggie kicked and flailed, catching Sarah's shoulder with a fist.

"Ouch, sister!" Sarah joked and somewhat vigorously rubbed Maggie's torso and then ran a hand over her head. "Mags, you have so much hair! We're gonna put a bow in it when we go out tomorrow!" Maggie's hair was a lighter brown now, and she had just enough on the top of her head to maybe allow for a small accessory. She already had a few bows that wrapped around her head but she consistently knocked them off, and Ed was worried they hurt her anyway.

In the kitchen, Sonny had already scooped ice cream into bowls and Noah was busy adding chocolate sauce, sprinkles, cherries, and crumbled Oreos under Brooke's supervision. Nobody questioned the excessive supplies Ed and Olivia toted with them on the way out.

The flowy, flowery, Sarah-style dress flapped in the breeze once they got close to the water. The walked south, away from the busier, more populated part of the beach, and Ed bunched the blanket under his arm and held the bottle in on hand so he could hold Olivia's. She glanced at him coyly out of the corner of her eye and turned her head against the wind so the loose strands of her brown hair that had escaped the hair clip were not flapping against her face.

"I'm glad to be here walking on the beach with you," he said hesitantly like it was the first romantic thing he'd ever uttered to her and he was worried she wouldn't reciprocate.

"I'm glad to be here with you."

Somewhere between North America and Africa, a storm brewed in the Atlantic and it sent large waves crashing at their bare feet, spraying droplets of water onto their legs and dotting Ed's khaki cargo shorts. As they jumped away from a particularly threatening wave, Ed almost dropped the blanket.

"Good save," Olivia cooed.

"Thanks."

"Want to sit for a while?"

There was something in the way said sit that made him tingle. "Good idea." Ed surveyed the immediate area and nodded toward a little dip in the sand out of the water's reach. "Over there."

They sat on the blanket and poured the wine. Olivia wasted no time snuggling up to Ed, and she covered her legs with the end of the blanket. Despite it being August, it was a little chilly, especially when the breeze hit the damp spots on her legs and dress.

Ed handed Olivia her glass. "Cheers," he said, making no move to drink. "A toast…to…our family. Ya know, I think we unintentionally found the secret. Ya kinda need a twenty-five year age gap between sets of kids…easier that way."

Olivia briefly closed her eyes and shook her head, laughing. "That's an extremely rosy way of looking at…everything."

"Why not be rosy?" Ed asked, a little baffled, "We have everything we want, don't we? A smart, kind, caring little boy, two gorgeous babies, and two, no, three adults to watch them while we drink wine on the beach."

"That's the most perfect summary I've ever heard."

Ed finally took a smug drink.

"But you left something out."

He raised his eyebrows. "Did I?"

"This." Olivia lunged at him. The kiss took him by surprise and he spilled a little of his wine, but he simply tossed the glass aside and took her into his arms. He fell onto his back, bunched her dress up over her hips, and ran his hands over every inch of bare skin he could reach.

Things escalated quickly. Olivia fused her lips to Ed's while expertly removing his shorts and using a foot to shove them from his legs and into the sand.

"Liv."

"I want you."

"I want you too, baby," he gasped in reaction to her biting a little harder than usual at his earlobe. "Ahhhaww, I want you so fucking much." He redirected her face back to his lips, kissed her fiercely, and rolled her so they were facing each other on their sides, dragging part of the blanket with him so they were partially covered which he thought Olivia would appreciate, but, judging by the ferocity of her kisses and caresses, she might not have cared all that much.

The breeze picked up and the waves roared in. Olivia moaned faintly, took a deep breath, and didn't release it until Ed was buried inside her. She pressed her eyes closed, letting the sounds of nature wash over her mind and body as her husband moved in and out of her at a slow, sensual pace. He kept his mouth on hers and massaged her tongue in rhythm with his thrusts. They sunk comfortably into the sand, the terrain cushioning and shaping itself around their bodies. It was one of the most intimate moments of their lives.

Afterward, Ed couldn't quite relinquish the pleasure of their half-naked bodies pressed together. He yanked the fleece blanket to give them a little more coverage and kissed at her face repeatedly.

Olivia felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath. "You okay?"

"Liv, I'm sure I've never been better."

"That was…so good."

"Mmmm," he droned into her ear and held her even more tightly. "You're so good. I wanna stay like this forever. God, I love making love to you."

"We were meant to be together," Olivia tilted her head back and pursed her lips, ready for another kiss.

Ed didn't immediately comply. "We were, weren't we?"

"Yes."

"That's the only explanation, isn't it?"

"No, but it's the best one for right now."

….

Back at the house, everyone migrated to the back porch. Sarah and Noah occupied the swing. Brooke and Sonny were in the matching wicker armchairs. The babies were in the middle in their walkers. Their little feet couldn't quite reach the ground, but this way they were upright and could more easily look around.

"They like to watch each other!" Sarah remarked.

Sure enough, Maggie and Wyatt seemed to mimic one another's movements. If Wyatt grabbed for a rattle, Maggie did the same. If Maggie flung herself backwards, Wyatt imitated her motion.

"Happy babies," Sonny said.

"They sure are," Brooke added.

"Why wouldn't they be?" Sarah asked. She was already on her third glass of Prosecco. Lately, she'd been good at keeping tabs on how much she drank, but after the long road trip, she figured she owed herself a night free from restrains. Besides, how much trouble could she get into with her family at a quaint little beach house?

"Some babies are colicky and fussy," Sonny said, "Trust me. I know. We've had all kinds in my family."

"Sare bear!" Noah jerked his little body forward, "Go faster!"

"Noey, this isn't a swing like at the park! We're gonna break it if we go too high!"

"Wanna swing wiff Maggie and Wyatt!"

"Let's let 'em sit in their seats until they need to eat again. Then we'll feed them right here," Sarah suggested, "You know how to feed them, don't you?"

"UH-huh!" Noah answered indignantly, almost insulted that Sarah had to ask him that question.

Brooke and Carisi cracked up.

"Noah, you take super good care of the babies," Brooke complimented.

Noah smiled proudly. "Mommy and Daddy show me how." As if he suddenly realized his parents' absence, he asked, "Where Mommy and Daddy go?"

"For a walk," Sonny responded.

Sarah pretended to choke on her wine and forced a cough. "Yes. A walk."

Brooke narrowed her eyes.

"Brookey, don't look at me in that voice." Sarah dragged Noah over to her side. "Tell Brookey to loosen up, No."

"Loosen up, Brookey!"

"Noah," Brooke responded firmly, "Tell Sarah to get her mind out of the gutter."

It took a second for Noah to get the words in the right order, but he repeated, "Mind outta da gutter, Sare bear!"

"Noah. Go get the blue bottle for your Sare bear. It's on the kitchen table."

"Sarah. Dad and Liv don't want him being your waiter."

"He's just getting me the bottle. Go ahead, Noey, you can open the door." She set Noah on the slatted wooden floor and he went into the kitchen in search of the Prosecco. Once he was out of earshot, Sarah turned back to Sonny and Brooke. "They are doing a little more than walking, I'm sorry-not-sorry to say."

Brooke recognized the mischievous twinkle in her sister's eye and knew she was imagining her Dad and Olivia engaged in X-rated scenes on the seashore. "You're crazy. Dad wouldn't do that."

"Oh yes he would."

"Do what?" Sonny had been busy making faces and Wyatt and Maggie who were waving their arms around, practicing holding their heads up, and smiling.

"Sonny, get with the program," Sarah scolded. She heard Noah's footsteps come closer so she quickly added, "Your boss and our Dad are fucking on the beach."

The screen door squeaked as Noah pushed his way back onto the porch. He easily handled the barely-full bottle and gave it to Sarah. "Dere ya go, Sare bear!"

"Thank you, Noey Boey! Now. As a reward, you may have a soda! It's in the fridge." Once again, she sent him inside.

"Lieu?" Sonny asked with a screwed-up face, "No way."

"Yes way."

Brooke sided with Sonny. "I don't think so."

"You watch. When they come back, they're gonna reek of sex."

"How exactly do you reek of sex?" Brooke asked.

Noah returned with his soda can and Sarah popped it open. She took a sip so it was less full and handed it over. "You just do," she answered. "I can't explain it. Maybe it's a sixth sense. Some people can predict the future, I know when people have just had sex."

"Sare bear," Noah reprimanded, "You say sex again!"

….

"Do I look okay?" Olivia smoothed her hair with her hands then ran both her index fingers under her eyes to try and wipe away any smeared makeup.

"Do you really need me to answer that?"

"Right now? Yes."

Ed playfully tugged her toward the water. "I could just throw ya in…then it won't matter what we look like."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Ed's neck, and squealed a little as he swung her around. Her feet came down in water up to her ankles and she shivered as he trailed kissed along her collarbone.

"I'm so happy, Liv."

"Me too."

"I wanna buy that house."

Olivia responded with a placating, "Okay."

"I'm serious."

"Ed, you just sold the Kill Devil condo."

"I sold that a year ago. We need a place for our family. This is perfect. It's far but not too far."

Olivia placed both hands on his chest. "Let's think about that."

"I want Noah and Wyatt and Maggie to have memories."

"They will. They will have memories of this fantastic life we're giving them. Of how much their Mommy and Daddy love them. Of how much Sarah and Brooke and Sonny love them. Of holidays and birthdays and…" Olivia was starting to choke up.

"Liv, I didn't meanta make you cry. Hey."

"I always cry."

"I know, but it still scares me."

"Then stop being so perfect."

Ed's face formed into the cockiest smirk Olivia could remember and he replied, "I can't. I have to keep up with you."

Olivia cocked an eyebrow, "Captain, we better head back before we have to face some questions we can't answer."

"Which questions have you ever been unable to answer, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not used to answering them."

"Me neither."

"This has been kind of a long walk."

"Coulda been longer."

"It could have."

"Hope they won't notice how long we're in the shower later."

Olivia buried her head into his neck. "I'm sure someone will."

"I don't care."

"You don't?"

"No." Ed breathed deeply, inhaling the salty-sweet scent of her hair. "Loving you is the last thing I want to hide."

…..

Wyatt and Maggie slept peacefully in their bouncy seats while Sonny, Brooke, Sarah, and Noah boisterously played Uno around the square coffee table. Sonny had been officially added to the scoresheet and was clearly out to distinguish himself among the pack of players which now included Noah who, at four, was developing into a pretty savvy player. He resisted the urge to immediately play his "Draw" cards and was able to easily follow the other rules of colors and numbers.

Ed and Olivia walked in, arm-in-arm, smiling, and in full realization that they would immediately be under scrutiny. They had already ditched the bottle in a neighbor's recycling bin, left the glasses on one of the porch tables, and draped the blanket over a railing.

Sarah greeted them first. "Well, helllooooooo."

"Long time, no see," Brooke said, buying in to Sarah's theory. Both of them looked like they'd been for a walk on the beach. Windblown hair. Pink cheeks. Slightly watery eyes. But, Brooke had to admit, there was a certain swagger surrounding them, one that guarded an inside joke, a secret, and she swore they almost looked disappointed to discover most of their family still energetically wide awake.

"Nice night out there." Ed remarked. With his arm still around Olivia's waist, he added, "You didn't drink all of my bourbon, didja?"

Nobody had bourbon. Sonny and Brooke drank beer. Sarah was well into her second bottle of wine.

"Not yet," Brooke said, turning back to her cards and smiling.

"Can I pour ya one, Daddy?"

"Nah," Ed tousled Noah's hair, "How's my boy?"

"I winning! Look!" Noah held up his cards. He did have a pretty good looking hand.

"That's great, bud! A couple more hands then bedtime."

"Sare bear say I can stay up late."

"Did she?"

Sarah batted her eyes apologetically. "It was sort of a bribe."

"That's just fine," Olivia said sweetly, "We're on vacation. Anything goes." She kissed Noah and then hovered over the twins. "Hi my sweet babies! So, so precious."

"They ate about an hour ago," Sonny reported. "And sucked 'em down, too!"

"I feeded Wyatt dis time!" Noah announced.

"You fed Wyatt?" Olivia asked, sounding impressed, "You usually feed Maggie, dontcha?"

"Uh-huh. Small sister was wiff Sonny."

"Sonny loves small sister," Sarah remarked, playing a card which skipped Noah. "Sorry, No."

"Sare bear," Noah growled in response.

Olivia smiled at her son's annoyed expression, stretched, and announced she was going to get cleaned up. The Uno players nodded. Ed eyed the babies, waited a few minutes, and drifted away without a word. The stairs creaked under his weight and Sarah's eyes followed his footsteps overhead.

"And now the shower," she said knowingly.

Brooke borrowed Sarah's signature phrase, "Omigod. That wasn't obvious at all."

Sonny was dumbfounded. "I can't believe it. I saw it. But I can't believe it."

"Told ya," Sarah snickered haughtily, and shook her head, "So freaking hot."

…

Just after sunrise the next morning, Sonny found Ed on the back porch with Wyatt and Maggie. He hesitated to interrupt at first. Ed had both babies laying on their backs on the chaise. They wore nothing but diapers and Ed bobbed his head back and forth, nuzzling and blowing strawberries on their bellies. He took sharp breaths between each contact.

"Daddy's gonna getcha!"

"Gotta smile for me, baby girl? There it is. Yes you do!"

"How 'bout you, big guy? Atta boy!"

Wyatt and Maggie blinked and stuck out their tongues and wiggled in response to their father. Sonny made sure to make some extra noise in the kitchen before he joined them.

"Morning, Captain." Sonny was careful not to let the screen door slam.

"It's Ed."

"Ah, yeah, that's tough."

"Try."

"Okay."

"I'm not gonna be Captain forever, ya know."

Sonny ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, Brooke said somethin' about that. Thinking about going part time?"

Ed kept his eyes on the twins. "I have a couple of different options. Just want to spend as much time as possible with these two. After this week, we both go back to work, it's gonna be tough. And we haven't hired a new nanny, so Brooke's really bailing us out by watching them."

Carisi grinned at the wide-awake babies who were captivated by their Daddy. Ed was now catching their feet as they kicked and playfully nipped at their toes. When Brooke told Sonny she volunteered to watch the three kids during the day when Olivia and Ed went back to work, Sonny was secretly thrilled.

"But that's not gonna last forever," Ed continued, "So I need to make a decision soon."

"I dunno," Sonny said, still smiling at the infants, "I don't think I could leave them."

"What about you?" Ed asked. "Still not quite ready to jump ship and go to the DA's office?"

"I think…I'm always thinking about it. But…I want to talk it over with Brooke. And I never feel like it's the right time to bring it up. It seems, well, I kinda need to know if she'd rather be married to a cop or an ADA."

"Tough being a cop and having a family," Ed remarked, "But not impossible…if ya have your priorities straight."

Sonny leaned against the railing and looked into the distance. "Yeah," he murmured under his breath. He clearly had a lot on his mind.

Ed was encouraging. "You two will figure it out though. No doubt in my mind about that."

Maggie started fussing, so Ed picked her up. "What's wrong, pretty girl?" He held her up and kissed her on each cheek. "Just want your Daddy to hold ya?" In Ed's arms, she calmed down.

Sonny offered to take Wyatt. Ed nodded. Sonny held him so he was facing outward and bounced around the porch. Soon they were joined by Olivia and Noah and then Sarah and Brooke. After breakfast, the eight of them headed out to the beach. Noah led the way, dragging his boogie board. Sonny shouldered most of the bags and pulled the wheeled cooler. Sarah held Maggie. Brooke had Wyatt.

Ed and Olivia trailed, holding hands, ready for another perfect day.

…

#Tuckson